Blackbeary Wheat - Long Trail Brewing Co.

Jonada

New Jersey

3.06/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

12oz bottle. Freshness date not legible. Served in a pint glass

Appearance: Pours a clear, very light pale yellow color. Less than a finger of a fizzy white head that dissipated almost instantly.

Smell: Grain, wheat, blackberry, some sweet malt

Taste: Blackberry (somewhat artificial) is really the most prominent flavor. Underneath that there are hints of wheat, grain, and cereal. The grain is much less prominent on the palate than the aroma, which is a good thing.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, crisp mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Goes down easy, and pretty refreshing.

Overall: Pretty decent for what it is. Not a whole lot of flavor going on, but what flavor is there isn't bad. I'd grab this over a mass produced light lager any day.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 04:35:44 | More by Jonada

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.89/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Long Trail Brewing Co. - Blackbeary Wheat - 16fl oz on tap

I find myself going back to this brew once in a while at a nearby restaurant because they have it on tap and it tastes quite a bit better than in the bottle.

Look - Pours light yellow and completely clear with a negligible soapy head that quickly dissipates. Good lacing. Minimal carbonation.

Smell - Unmistakable wheat and blackberry fruitiness. Bready. Some spice.

Taste - Carbonated, light wheat followed by bready yeast. Crisp and refreshing. Blackberry is there but not overly sweet.

Mouthfeel - Slightly sticky fruity but the sweetness element fades, creating a very refreshing and drinkable experience.

Overall - For a light, refreshing brew, this brew is one of the best. This is my go-to brew when I can get it over lighter alternatives that lack depth and flavor. I definitely prefer this on-tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2013 22:35:28 | More by JMScowcroft

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours kristelweiss clear and yellow, like some very clean dehydrated pee. The head on top is huge and snow white, with finely packed bubbles, but a lumpy exterior. The beer’s body is as clean as a hospital, with a light torrent of carbonation bubbles working their way to the top of the glass. The lacing on the edges of the glass is medium to thick, sticky, and quite patchy. On the nose, the beer smells of damp wheat with a light spice note, and plenty of tart and syrupy sweet blackberry smells. On the tongue, the beer tastes cleanly of wheat bread and sweet black berries. The beer begins with damp and bitter bland wheat before opening into a more welcoming biscuity flavor with a very light spice from the yeast, and then crescendoing with the syrupy blackberry taste that is sweet and pleasing. The close of the beer is far more pleasant than the opening, with light lingering wheat flavors, and a very light sweet tang of blackberries. In the mouth, the beer feels very clean, and of a lighter body, with some very nice velvety carbonation bubbles, and a refreshing kick in the back of the throat. The mouth is left a little dry and sticky, strangely, but the throat is left feeling quite refreshed. Overall, this is a light fruit beer that I really don’t mind drinking a lot of. Longtrails website says this beer originated from the concept of Belgiums lambic beers, but I see it as far more akin to a crisp kellerweiss, and I think they should start marketing it that way. The beer is great for a summer day when you want something a little sweet to refresh the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:37:53 | More by Maxwell

berliner07

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear pour. Very, very light. Not surprising. Berry odor comes forth, but not very distinctive. The mouthfeel is extremely thin. The malt flavors are nice for a light wheat beer. Just enough to keep it interesting. For me, the Berry flavor isnt distinct enough. wish it had a more unique flavor. but the base beer is very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2012 14:07:54 | More by berliner07

poop_brew

Vermont

4.55/5  rDev +47.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance - I drank from a can most recently but have seen the beer poured on tap as well, it looks pretty standard with a minimal head and light, wheat color
Smell - You would definitely know it was berry just by the smell
Taste - One of my favorite summer beers because of the blackberry, but it is not overpowering and does not make it a 'girly' beer
Mouthfeel - light, airy, perfect carbonation... but not unlike other similar summer brews
Overall - It is a staple and a go-to. Nothing incredibly unique but it would definitely be a treat for visitors and I enjoy it more than other 'fruity' beers

Serving type: can

11-09-2012 04:31:23 | More by poop_brew

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a crystal clear medium golden yellow in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense fizzy white head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer with a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of blackberries over a lighter note of wheat with just a hint of lemon/citrus.

T: Light to moderate flavors of tart blackberries (though an almost artificial flavor) with lighter flavors of wheat.

M: Light bodied with slightly more than moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: This beer is extremely easy to drink and would be very refreshing on a hot summer afternoon.

Serving type: can

10-12-2012 22:30:23 | More by dbrauneis

neophilus

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Golden straw colored crystal clear brew. Aroma has bready malt up front, a hint of soapiness.

Grainy wheat flavor dominates. Dry and Crisp. Blackberries are there in the aftertaste but don't lend any sweetness. Was hoping for some more darker fruit flavors and residual sweetness.

There is a bitter edge to the beer, sharp on the tongue. Cleans up nicely after itself. Seems like a good upgrade for the light beer drinking crowd, both for clean flavor profile as well as low ABV.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 18:51:46 | More by neophilus

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks again to woodychandler for his large supply of beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a very pale yellow color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong of blueberries. Taste is also of blueberry, although not sweet, some wheat tartness, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: can

09-27-2012 21:27:55 | More by tone77

Kooz

New York

3.48/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured to a plain yellow, little head. Average.

Smelled sweet wih plenty of blackberry. No alcohol smell, which is a good sign.

I was xpecting something closer to cough syrup. This had a nice sweetness to it both in the first sip and in the aftertaste. Not a ton of depth, but for what it is, it's tasty. One of the better fruit beers I've tried.

Good mouthfeel, plenty of body. Foamy to the point of creamy. Very nice.

I was very surprised by this beer. They kept it simple and didn't try to make it too complex. It's a straightforward fruit beer, and it's a good one. Maybe a step behind Sam's Cherry Wheat.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 01:16:01 | More by Kooz

KB24

3.1/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pale yellow and clear. One finger white head disappears quickly. Moderate carbonation.
S - Light and flowery. Just a hint of the blackberry.
T - Very light and shallow, not much depth. It's like I'm searching for more flavors, or the taste is just not complete. The blackberry hint in the smell seems to be missing.
M - Crisp, nice carbonation. Easy to drink.
O - A nice wheat beer on a hot day, but left me wanting a little more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 20:33:11 | More by KB24

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Crystal clear, dull straw yellow. Highly effervescent. Thick, rocky white head settles shortly into just a thin wispy cap. Not much in the way of lacing.

S: Blackberry scent is natural and restrained enough to allow the beer to come through. Bready wheat and floral hops. That's about it.

T: As in the nose, the blackberry is prominent and tastes very natural, but it is also just tame enough to let the beery aspects come through as well. Floral hop punch with a clean bitterness. Bread and mushy wheat cereal. Wheat dough. Finishes very dry with a wheaty twang and a mild hop bitterness.

M: Very light in body. Crisp and aggressively carbonated. Rather watery and otherwise dull.

O: A dull, somewhat lifeless wheat beer with some nice blackberry taste. Its crisp and refreshing properties are about the only thing it has going for it. It's the kind of beer I'd chug in lieu of water after a long run on a hot day. Not bad for a lawnmower beer I suppose, but if you expect anything more from it, you will be sorely disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 18:23:31 | More by ryan1788a5

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

No boostin', yo! This actually came in a CAN from Pinocchio's, f'real, f'real! I am the first to review in this serving type, which is not terribly unusual, but it is part of New CANned Beer Sunday.

From the CAN: "Take a Hike! Trail Friendly CAN".

The Crack startled me as it was another Craft CAN filled to the brim and foaming up as soon as it was opened. I went with an initial inverted Glug, resulting in two fingers of massive, bone-white head with decent retention. Color was a lemon-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose smelled faintly of berries and I remember this being a knock against this beer - not enough Ooomph in terms of its fruitiness. Mouthfeel was light, not watery, but close and the lightness of the fruit combined nicely with the inherent tang of the wheat, but I just felt like it had been dialed down from what it could have been. Finish was dry and refreshing, which may be appropriate for the beach, but I just was not feelin' it.

Serving type: can

08-05-2012 13:14:20 | More by woodychandler

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz Bottle from CJ's Potsdam NY for 1.65$

Appearance - Clear yellow colour with a large size fizzy white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation showing and there isn't much lacing. The head lasted for 3 or 4 minutes.

Smell - Malts, breads/grains, raspberries, corn

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts and corn mixed with some bread/grains and some sweet and tart raspberries. The taste isn't as in your face as other fruit beers tend to be - which I like. It ends with a grainy slightly sweet and tart aftertaste.

Overall - I'm really not a fan of fruit beers.. so I don't know why I bother buying them. I will say that this one is pretty drinkable; and if for some reason all of the beers in the world had fruit in them, I'd buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:17:59 | More by spinrsx

curasowa

New York

3.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Clear, pale yellow color with one finger of fluffy, white head that fades slowly to a thin cap with a trailing curtain of lace.

Aroma: Strong, syrupy berry aroma over a wheat malt base - straightforward. The berry aroma is pretty dominate.

Taste: A nice, dry wheat malt base upfront with a medium body get things started, then some mild sweetness towards the middle and thinning out for the finish where the blackberry show up with some metallic notes.

The Rest: I'm not a huge fruit beer guy, but this one isn't too bad. It's still a one and done for me, but it's a decent wheat with a fairly balanced fruit finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 22:19:16 | More by curasowa

phpfunk

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The smell is very odd. Yes it smells like blackberries but almost too much, almost fake or a bit rotten. I can't quite place it.

Very light in color and fruity. Got it in a sampler pack and would probably never purchase this beer alone. It was worth a try but nothing special IMO.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 01:21:44 | More by phpfunk

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

this is underrated on BA, no doubt. pours a brightly bubbling golden color with a short white head. smell can be a little off-putting at first, with a decaying berry kind of weird fermenty smell. i think it smells like fresh summer beer, but thats just me. flavor is what its all about, and this tastes good. lots of light wheat malt and a healthy dose of fresh berries on the back end. not as all sweet, i think its an amazingly well balanced fruit beer. in a summer beer, mouthfeel is a huge factor, and i like the lighter body and active carbonation of this easy drinker. its one after the other all day with these. you need a beer like that sometimes. good stuff in my book.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 21:21:27 | More by StonedTrippin

theBubba

New York

2.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured...well. like an average beer. Same for the color. I find it hard to say more.

Same for the smell, except for the blackberry aroma that comes through. Otherwise there is nothing worth mentioning.

This is a thin, (as in no body...even a Blue Moon has more substance) watery brew, with a slightly bitter aftertaste, which surprises me as I got no sense of hops with my first smell. I'd let this one go by. If your looking for fruit, try a Blue Point Blueberry.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 03:13:32 | More by theBubba

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a pint glass:

A: transparent yellow colored body yielded a small fizzy white head that appeared for ten seconds and died. No lacing was left. Rapidly rising carbonation was seen.

S: decent blend of the blackberries and the wheat, but nothing else.

T: the same

M: very light, extremely sessionable, high amount of carbonation felt

O: I like blackberries, but they seemed to be trying to "blend" in too well in this beer. Being a "fruit/vegetable beer," I thought they would come out a bit more. Still, I'm not sure if I would have this again?

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 01:33:39 | More by kangarooAdam59

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up in a mixed six, enjoyed chilled from a wheat glass.

The color is very pale golden with thick 2 finger collar of wheat cloudy head, the bead is fine, retention is decent and carbonation is visible as clarity is good. The smell is kind of sweet, but not overly so with slight berry tinge and light malt aspect, not bad however it smells kind of like it may be extract like a fruit tea. The feel is very good with light body and mild sweetness and moderately high carbonation. The mild yeast and slightly clean malt feel is quenching which is nice.

The flavor starts out with a wheat taste which is slightly sweet which leads to the berry element which is balanced well here. The yeast is pretty clean which allows the wheat and fruit to be the prominent flavors. Overall I enjoyed this as a nice refreshing wheat.I give it better than average in most categories because it achieves the goal of the brewer - light quaffable wheat with a subtle berry flavor to compliment.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 14:04:27 | More by Slatetank

jsisko01

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a clear golden color with almost no head at all.. and has little to no lacing.

Smell - I smell very feint hints of wheat. It's slightly sweet but I can't really detect any berries..

Taste - The blackberry is much more present in the flavor. Along with a lot of breadiness, grains, and wheat.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with high carbonation.

Overall - I'm not a fan of blackberries but it was interesting to try this beer. Not bad

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 03:16:36 | More by jsisko01

Darkmagus82

Montana

2.35/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – A very light golden/straw color with a very light white head. The head faded very fast giving way to almost no lacing.

Smell –There is some very light wheat aromas mixed with a little bit of berry aroma as well. There is also the presence of some less pleasant skunky and metallic aromas as well.

Taste- The taste is of light breadiness up front, with light what flavors mixed in. There is a very light sweetness in the middle of the beer, which seems to diminish again toward the end. At the end there is some of the skunkiness detected in the nose as well as a presence of blackberry flavors. The skunk and blackberry linger on the tongue and leave a somewhat unpleasant aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – It has a very light body with a medium level of carbonation. Right for the style, but nothing really too great.

Overall – Not really my kind of beer. It really doesn’t have anything I found all that enjoyable. The taste and aroma were nothing all that pleasurable, the taste left a rather unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth and the mouthfeel was really quite bland.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 00:42:41 | More by Darkmagus82

ranthonyb34

3.03/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured it into a traditional wheat beer glass (that was pointless). Although I do enjoy lighter session ales, I bought this expected it to be an unfiltered wheat and was disappointed in that respect. It almost has the look, taste and feel of a cider, though not quite as fruity in the taste aspect.

Although it's look and feel aren't great, especially if you are expecting a traditional wheat, it doesn't taste that bad. It's light and fresh, and has almost no aftertaste. As long as you know this going in, you can adjust your expectations. Could easily put down twice as many of these than a normal wheat ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 21:04:58 | More by ranthonyb34

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - clear straw yellow in color, slight amount of head

S - fruity hint, kind of a musky smell of old pizza.. kinda weirded out right now, definitely a bit bready

T - a very light fruit taste.. reminds me of raspberry seltzer. you can taste more of the wheat than the berry, which is not necessarily a bad thing

M - very light and crisp, very carbonated like a fresh seltzer

O - not a bad beer for warm weather.. kind of light flavored, but that's good for a session ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 13:49:23 | More by facundoCNB

andersony17

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This beer is a gift from my friend. It smells pretty good sort of like a good fruit wine. Looks pretty bad though, a step up in golden color from my cheap college beers. Sort of a tart taste and you can taste the blackberry at the end but it's just an overall eh taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 06:33:22 | More by andersony17

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This poured out without much of a hazy which is what makes a wheat beer so special in my opinion. It was yellowish gold in color with a white head on top. The smell of the beer has some light hints of berry on the nose and wheat. The taste of the beer is a little fruity but a little bland also. The mouthfeel of the beer is a little watery and just not enough body. Overall It's just too light I think.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 02:48:10 | More by Knapp85